The Great Debaters (2007)

The Great Debater - DVD

This DVD was truly outstanding in every way. The storyline though not new was so well done. The acting was oscar quality. I can only highly recommend this DVD to those that enjoy a good movie where in the end everybody wins. Harvard wins for allowing the debate to happen and Wiley wins by invoking real life experience into a usually academic event. August 5, 2008

Inspiring.....

portrayal of how persons can rise above extremely adverse situations. Things may get difficult but not impossible especialy if there is team effort seems to be the message here. Superb performance from Washington, Whitaker and Jurnee Smollett. August 4, 2008

the great debaters

Although a simple good feeling ending that seems a little too long, it is an excellent movie and a good history lesson. July 27, 2008

Underestimated its audience

This was a beautifully filmed movie with a good message and great acting especially by those portraying the students. However, I have not been so disappointed in seeing a beautiful, meaningful movie lose credibility by underestimating its audience since watching Prairie Giant (The movie about the life of the founder of universal health care in Canada - Tommy Douglas.)

What I don't like to find out after watching such an emotionally gripping tale whose aim is to depict truth and fight injustice is that the filmmakers have been loose with the truth and have been unjust in their misappropriating credit to the wrong University.

Harvard never extended the Wiley Debate team an invitation to their University, instead it was the University of southern California. To me, finding this out after watching the movie spoilt the movie for me. To say a prestigious University extended a grace-filled invitation in order that a modern audience could see the mammoth achievement that the students from Wiley accomplished is an insult to the intelligence of the modern audience. If the filmmakers had wanted to show that debating U of SC was a fine achievement - they could have set the stage so that we would have understood the significance of that debate in that era and at the same time held true to history and gave the kudos the University that really made the step towards a more racially harmonious America.

The filmmakers should have cut all ties with reality and made this story a fictional morality tale - for then it truly would have been a masterpiece.




July 27, 2008

Rocky of Debate Teams

The Great Debaters, starring Denzel Washington, is the latest in the Rocky series. It is the Rocky of debating. Sound implausible? Well, actual sports do lend themselves better to the Rocky formula, but when the story is based on a true story, as this one is, it is able to pull it off alright.

The story is set in 1935 at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. Wiley is an African-American college and Denzel Washington is the headstrong debate coach. They rise to prominence in spite of the virulent racism of the deep South in the early 1900s. It's a good story, though it is hard to get the full flavor of the debates when you only get sound bites. Football and basketball lend themselves well to highlight reels, but you really need the full picture on debates.

In any event, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to most audiences. Probably not suitable for kids, unless they are up for understanding lynchings and racism. July 25, 2008

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